The Real Me
by Rayne McKenna
Summary: When Reid alienates everyone in the office, Hotch recruits Morgan to get to the bottom of things.


Spencer Reid had walked into the BAU that crisp, fall morning with a serious chip on his shoulder. He wasn't prone to angry outbursts or fits of rage, so when his behavior became rapidly confrontational as the day progressed, people became increasingly concerned.

By five P.M. Hotch was officially worried. He'd had several people inquire about Reid and four more complain. He had actually made a guy in filing cry. This was so unlike him that Hotch worried he was using again. So when the BAU was alone late finishing up with paperwork, Hotch decided it needed to be dealt with. They couldn't go another day like this.

"Morgan?" Hotch called "A word?"

Morgan joined Aaron in his office and shut the door as instructed.

"Do you know what's going on with Reid?" Hotch asks.

"Nah. I just know he's been pissing everyone off today. Honestly, I've never seen this side of him before. I guess it was just a matter of time before the kid snapped." Morgan says, half jokingly.

"Do you think he could be using again?" Hotch asked un-amused.

"What? No. I seriously doubt that. He's just having a bad day."

"He made Rick Jennings cry Morgan."

"The kid in filing? How did he manage that?"

"It doesn't matter. Someone needs to get to the bottom of things." He said, expectantly.

After a long moment Derek realized what he was implying.

"Oh, no. No, no, NO Hotch! I don't want to deal with that." Morgan argued.

Hotch just looked at Morgan for a long moment with his determined, trademark scowl. Morgan finally realized he wasn't getting out of it.

"Fine." Morgan said with a resigned sigh.

With that, Hotch returned to his desk as Morgan headed out to the bull pen to confront the younger agent and get it over with.

Reid was hunched over his desk with his head down reading. Everything about his body language suggested that he did not want to be bothered. Morgan watched him for a moment trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Before he could decide on a course of action, Garcia came bounding in with dinner, happily greeting everyone as she passed.

"Hello my chunk of chocolate goodness!" She called, drawing near.

"Hey, gorgeous." He smiled

Then, seemingly oblivious of Reid's current state of agitated brooding, she crossed into the kill zone.

"And how's our enchanting doctor this evening?" She asked, mussing his hair.

Reid pulled away harshly and looked up glaring, daggers in his eyes.

"Can you NOT touch me?" He ground out through gritted teeth.

"I-I'm Sorry." Garcia said, shocked and hurt.

Spencer shot up to his feet nearly knocking his chair over, storming away as Garcia watched, obviously crushed. Okay. That was it. Reid had gone too far now. Giving the bereaved tech analyst's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he passed, Morgan followed Reid. Catching up to his teammate at the elevator he struggled to keep his cool.

"Reid." He said sternly. "What the hell was that?" He demanded.

Spencer shot him an annoyed side glance ignoring him. He pushed the button again.

"Look, I don't know what the hell your problem is today, but attacking everyone around you is unacceptable." He chastised

"Back off Morgan." Reid warned.

"Or what pretty boy? You'll make me cry too?"

The elevator arrived, doors opening.

Reid looked Morgan square in the face, eyes narrowed.

"Fuck off." He spat, and boarded the elevator.

Morgan couldn't hide his utter shock. Oh no he didn't. As the doors began to close, Morgan thrusted a hand out causing them to pull open once more. Stepping in, he got right in the young mans face.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He yelled, as the doors slid shut behind him.

Holding his ground, Reid met his angry gaze with a challenge.

"None of your damn business." He replied.

After a moment of silent tension, both refusing to back down, Morgan decided there was no room for polite tip toeing.

"Are you using again?" He pried.

Morgan thought he saw something flash through the other mans eyes but he didn't look away.

"You think just because I show some back bone that I must be under the influence? You know what? Maybe you're the one with the problem. Big, bad Derek can't handle someone challenging his precious authority. At the end of the day you're just like all the other alpha males I survived growing up. Just a bully."

Morgan didn't know how to react. He was so angry he could spit nails, but also concerned at Reid's uncharacteristically confrontational behavior.

"Is that what you really think of me? He asked.

"If the shoe fits…" Reid replied.

They didn't even notice that the elevator wasn't moving.

Hotch worried that sending Morgan to deal with Reid may have been a bad call. After JJ had come to his office to inform him of what had transpired moments ago, he'd heard Derek yell something inappropriate before they'd disappeared behind metal doors. He walked to the elevator intending to follow them and realized that the floor indicator light wasn't working. He'd hit the button repeatedly with no luck. Great. Now he had two agents stuck in close quarters ready to kill each other.

Morgan had had it. If this was the way that his co-worker wanted to play it, fine. He would show the Dr. what a real bully was. Maybe if he pushed him far enough he could get to the root of it all.

"You pathetic little twerp." He said. "No wonder you got your ass kicked so much, you can't even dish out a good insult." Morgan pushed.

"I'm sorry. Did I go too far? I was just trying to dumb it down so it didn't go over that fat head of yours." Reid retorts.

"Oh, don't worry about me pretty boy, I can hold my own." Derek assured him.

"Maybe that's part of your problem. You haven't had to 'hold your own'." Reid emphasized with air quotes..

"What the hell does that even mean?" Derek asked confused.

"It means that on top of being a bully you're also a dog." Reid assessed.

"Are you seriously using the fact that I have luck with women as an insult? I think you're just jealous because while I'm out getting my grove on you're stuck at home searching porn sites with a bottle of lotion and an old tube sock…" Derek smirked.

"Not at all. I'm saying that you're compulsive need to sleep with anything in a skirt suggests one of three things." Reid holds up his thumb beginning the count. "Fear of commitment. Because either you hate yourself and don't want anyone around long enough to see the real you or you're ego keeps you believing that there may always be something better on the horizon, more deserving of your limited attention."

Derek's eyes narrow. Spencer holds up his index finger.

"Two. You feel like you have something to prove…which coupled with your aggressive tendencies is indicative of latent homosexuality." Reid says raising a brow.

"I am not…" Derek started.

Spencer adds his middle finger.

"Three. You were forced to move on when nobody would screw you more than once because you're completely inadequet." Spencer smiled.

Before Derek knew what was happening he had slammed Spencer up against the elevator wall with his left hand, right fist raised. He didn't know if he was more disturbed by his actions or the fact that Spencer wasn't even flinching. Did the kid have a death wish?

"Oooh…there's that aggression. Looks like we have a winner." Reid taunted.

"What's gotten into you Reid? Do you want to get hit?" Derek screams, unable to control his voice.

Spencer looked hard into Derek's eyes. A slow, devious smile crossed his full, pouty lips.

"Hit? Or hit ON?" Reid spat.

Oh. That was the final nail in the coffin.

Hotch had heard the screaming coming from the other side of the steal doors. The other team members had started to gather worrying about what would happen. Garcia had called down to maintenance several minutes ago and while they waited, they kept hitting the button and trying to pry the doors open. Derek screamed something at Reid. Something about getting hit. Hotch and Rossi both attacked the doors when suddenly the floor indicator came back on and they heard the familiar bell that announced the elevators arrival. As the doors slid open they feared the worst.

They all stood in stunned silence at what they saw. Morgan had Reid pinned against the wall with his tongue so far down Spencer's throat that neither one of the agents even noticed the doors had opened. Morgan pushed his body up against Reid's hard eliciting a deep moan from him.

Rossi clears his throat.

Derek froze suddenly aware of the onlookers. Pulling slowly away from Spencer he straightened his shirt and regained some composure. Scanning his team members he flashes a big, nervous smile.

"I..uh…we…um…" Derek stammered.

Reid pushed away from the wall wiping the corner of his mouth with one slender finger, grinning. Walking by Derek he smacks him lightly on his ass and saunters back toward the bull pen. As he passes Garcia he puts his hand out and she slips him a twenty.

"Told ya." He said.

The End.


End file.
